22 February, 1999

February 22, 1999

Hello from the Ross Sea! This morning, I woke up very early and really didn't get back to sleep. The ship was rocking back and forth, and I was rolling in my bunk! Outside, the waves didn't look that high . . . but they were splashing on the back deck every now and then. Although the waves did get better by mid-morning, they continue even now (8:00 p.m.) to rock the ship. Thankfully, I didn't feel the least bit seasick!

We conducted a big multibeam survey today, and we were able to take only one core due to the weather. Tonight, the night shift will finish the multibeam survey and possibly take a core or two if the seas die down. After that, we are heading further west. By tomorrow, we will be in Sulzberger Bay. Sulzberger Bay is actually part of the Amundsen Sea. It is a bay that is located in front of the Sulzberger Ice Shelf between Edward VII Peninsula and the Ruppert Coast. It is situated along the coast of Marie Byrd Land, and it was first discovered by Rear Admiral Richard Evelyn Byrd on December 5, 1929. Byrd named the location after Arthur H. Sulzberger, who was the publisher of the New York Times and a big financial supporter of Byrd's expeditions to Antarctica. Who was Richard Evelyn Byrd?

So, have you thought about yesterday's question: "What types of food do you think that we eat on the ship?" Well, if you remember those Valentine's goodies, you should know that we eat VERY WELL! For breakfast, you can order eggs cooked fresh on the grill. Usually, there's something like french toast or pancakes available. There are always meat selections to choose from, as well as breakfast standards such as biscuits, grits, and oatmeal. In addition, there are several different types of cereals. My favorite breakfasts have been the homemade cinnamon rolls and the homemade bagels! Dr. Anderson was very happy because they made two types of cinnamon rolls . . . those with raisins and those without raisins (he doesn't like raisins). I prefer the rolls with raisins, and they are awesome!

We have an entire counter of drinks that we can choose from. These, along with the desserts, are available at any time of the day or night. We have a soda fountain with Coke products, coffee, hot tea, iced tea, water, fruit punch, lemonade, orange drink, and milk (regular or lite). There is an ice machine that dispenses crushed ice into your cup. We also have juice boxes of orange juice and apple juice that we can take out of the cooler. It's nice to have such a variety to choose from (it's certainly a better selection than what you would find in my refrigerator at home).

The lunches and dinners have been terrific, and they have included everything from tonight's lasagna to fried chicken to steak. We've also had great catfish, calamari, spaghetti, hamburgers, and pork chops. My favorite (so far) has been the night that we were served Mexican food. It was better than the Mexican food in most restaurants. Tomorrow night, Ernest is planning to BBQ on the grill (outside, on the 2nd deck)! We always have some sort of homemade rolls or bread with every meal, and there are new desserts made every day. Right now, we still have fresh fruits and vegetables, although that will probably end in another week or so. As you can probably guess, I'm definitely not starving aboard the Nathaniel B. Palmer. I've talked with Ernest, our chef, about getting a tour of the kitchen. When that happens, I'll make sure and take some pictures so that you can see it too.

If you have any questions about Antarctica in general or the journals in specific, don't hesitate to send them to me. If I don't know the answer myself, I can certainly find someone who does. Part of my responsibilities while I'm down here are to write the journal and to answer email questions . . . and I really enjoy it! Don't think I've overlooked you if you don't receive an answer. Sometimes, our email gets lost somewhere in cyberspace between the United States and the ship. If you don't receive an answer within 24-36 hours, please send your question again. Normally, I answer all questions within 6-12 hours of receiving them. Since we upload and download email up to four times a day (as long as we aren't heading south), that means you would normally receive a response in less than 24 hours. I look forward to hearing from you soon! See you tomorrow.

Kim Giesting

Latitude: 77 degrees 48 minutes South

Longitude: 161 degrees 55 minutes West

Temperature: -13 degrees C

Barometer: 993.2 mb

Wind Speed: 19 knots

Wind Direction: 226 degrees (winds are coming from the southwest)

Our drink selection in the galley of the Nathaniel B. Palmer.

Don is getting his dinner.

It's time for dinner on the N.B.P!